Automatic railway-switch



(No Model.)

R. P. GARSED.

Automatic Railway Switch.

No. 234,178. Patented Nov. 9,1880,

itmssrs:

ATTOKNEY- N.PETERS PHOTO-Ln HOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT P. GARSED, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC RAI LWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,178, dated November 9, 1880.

(No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT P. GARSED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norristown, in the county of Montgomery and 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Railway-Switches, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the switch embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view thereof. Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of a modification.

Similar letters of reference indie-ate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists of certain novel means for automatically operating railwayswitches directly from the engine or other'car of a train. Provision is made for locking the switch when shifted, and automatically unlocking the same prior to shifting; furthermore, for preventing severe concussion or jarring and injury of the mechanism of the switch.

25 Referring to the drawings, A A represent the shifting or switch rails, and B B B B the rails continuous of the switch-rails for the main line and sidings or intersections.

O represent two bevel-wheels, whose shafts a a, arranged horizontally and transversely and independently of each other, are mounted on a suitable tie or support on the road-bed at the pi vpt end of the switch-rails A A.

Meshing with said bevel-wheels O O is a wheel,

D, whose shaft is arranged horizontally and longitudinally, and properly mounted or supported. Each shaft of the wheels 0 O is formed with a crank, b, to which is connected a rod, E, extendingparallel with the railsA A,

the ends of said rods E E opposite to the cranks being pivoted to a swinging bar, F,

which, by means of a longitudinally-extending bar, G, rigidly secured to said bar F, and to a transversely-extending bar, G, is connected 5 to the head end of the switch-rails, said barF extending transversely and pivoted centrally to a suitable tie or support on the road-bed.

0n the bevelwheel D are ears d, formed with or rigidly connected to said wheel, and

50 to the ears is pivoted a lever, H, having a head, 6, nose f, and a spring, g, the head projeeting above the wheel D, the nosef being adapted to enter either one of two or more openings, at, in aloeking-plate, J, which is secured to a suitable tie or support on the roadbed adjacent to the wheel D, and the spring 9, bearing against the lever H, serving to hold it engaged with the plate J.

Attached to each crank-shaft a a is aswitchsetting arm, KK, which arms are sodisposed that the lever H is in advance of them, and one of the arms is always close to said lever and in the same right line in the longitudinal direction of the track.

On one of the axes of the engine, preferably those of the pilot, the tender, or other proper part of the car which is in advance, or on a shaft specially applied thereto, is a wheel or disk, L, loosely fitted to the axle or shaft, or connected to a loose axle or shaft and adapted to be shifted laterally or from one end to the other of said axle or shaft, and under the control of the engineer or other proper person of the train, a lever or system of levers being connected to said wheel or disk and conveniently accessible to the operator, whereby he is enabled to move the wheel to the right or left, and thus cause the wheel to press against either of the arms K K, these standing forward in an inclined or diagonal direction, so that said pressure is exerted without imparting blows on the arms, thus avoiding jarring and fracture of the parts.

When the train moves forward and the switch requires shifting from the position shown in the drawings, the wheel L is moved to the left, so as to strike the head 6 of the lever H and withdraw the nose f from the opening in the right side of the plate J. Instantaneously thereafter the wheel L strikes and depresses the arm K, thus rotating the connected crank-shaft a, and, by means ofthe gear-wheels O D, rotating the other crank-shaft, a. The two rods E are respectively drawn back and pushed forward, thus moving the swinging bar F, and, by means of the connected bars G G, shifting or setting the switch to the left. With the rotation of the gear-wheel D the lever His carried to the right, and its nose drops into the opening at the left side of the plate J, thus locking the wheel D, and through the system locking the switch. The movement of the crank-shaft a raises the settingarm K and places it in a right line with the head of the lever H. \Vhen the switch is to be reshifted the wheel L is moved to the right and thus caused to strike first the lever 11 and disengage it from the lock J, and next strike and depress the artn K. The rods E E operate in reverse order to that stated, and the head end of the switch is moved to the right. The lever I1 is carried to the left and its nose drops into the opening at the right side of the plate J, thus again locking the switch, the arm K being raised in position for the next operation of resetting; or shifting of the switch.

In Fig. 4 I show a modification in which a rod, E, is fixed to the wheel I), and extending parallel with the rails, the cranks I; of the shafts a a and side rods, E, being dispensed with. A pinion, E, is connected to the other end of the rod and meshed with a toothed segment, E, to which the bar (I is secured.

When the wheel 1) is rotated similar to that hereinbefore stated the rod E aml pinion 1C are likewise rotated,and the segment E moves tothe right or left, as the case may be, and carries with it the bars (i (l. thus shifting the switch.

It is evident that the arms K K may he at.- tached directly to the gear-wheels l. U instead of to their shafts u a without producing different results from those stated.

By duplicatin; the aforesaid mechanism on the roadway. excepting the locking-lever aml plate H J, and locating said mechanism adjacent to or on the sides of the rails l3 13 B B,

so as to be opposite to the switch-rails A A,

and connecting it to the bar (1, provision is made for operating the switch when the train comes in the opposite direction.

The stop-bar M is faced with or formed of lead or other soft material, thus producing a somewhat pliable stop against which the rails A A are forced, thus preventingjarring of the rails and connected parts.

The wheel or disk L is faced with lead or other soft material, thus preventing jarring of the engine and the movable parts ofthc switch, and as said wheel is loose on its axle or shaft it does not receive the thrust of the arms K K always at the same place, and it expends the force on itself by its free rotation.

The inner sides of the rails are provided with socketsh, which, when the rails are moved, are caused to receive closely the ends of the stop-bar, whereby said ends, liable to expansion by the blows imparted to them, are kept better in shape, one side of the socket, however, being open or not fitting closely, so as to provide means for the escape of air in the socket.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The switch-rails, in combination with the connection E, gear-wheels O G, gear-wheel I), and the setting-arms K, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The rod 1' and gear-wheels U I), in combination with the locking-lever H, attached to the wheel 1) and moving with it in its two operations, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The switch having its stop-bar M faced with or formed of lead or other soft material, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The wheel or disk L, shit'table on the axle of the car or engine, and operating the arms K K, having a facing of lead or other soft material, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The rails A A, provided with sockets h, in combination with the stop-bar M, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

It. P. GARSEI). Witnesses JOHN A. \VIEDERSHEIM, FRANK CooPER. 

